Hair care and removals

How we test electric shavers

We use lab testing and an expert trial to score a range of electric shavers.
man using electric shaver HWT

Do you find shaving to be a hassle? Or do you actually enjoy taming and styling your beard to keep you looking cool and fresh? 

A man will spend an average of five months of his life shaving, so it’s no wonder you’re looking for a shaver that’s easy to use and comfortable too. 

For our electric shaver reviews, we put each model through performance testing in our CHOICE labs, and conducted a user trial to find out how easy they are to use. 

How we choose what we test

With so many models to choose from, what makes us choose one men’s shaver to test over another? As with most of our product testing, our aim is to test the most popular models on the market and what you’re most likely to see in the retailers.

We survey manufacturers to find out about their range of models. We check market sales information and we also check for any member requests to test specific models.

From this information we put together a final list that goes to our buyers. They then head out to the retailers and purchase each product, just as a normal consumer would. We do this so we can be sure the products are the same as any consumer would find them and not ‘tweaked’ in any way.

How we test

Lab component

Our tester conducts the following assessments for each shaver:

  • Instruction quality and detail
  • Ease of operating the controls
  • Grip comfort and feel when wet and dry
  • General trimmer performance
  • Ease of changing and cleaning the unit, heads or blades
  • Operating and charge times
  • Six drop tests from a height of 80cm.

Expert trial

Four in-house experts conduct a user assessment of each electric shaver based on their existing shaving preferences (two rotary models, two foil models). They score and comment on ease of use, feel (comfort and vibration), battery duration, time required to finish their shaving routine, closeness and evenness of the shave and whether they experienced discomfort or irritation.

Test criteria explained

The overall score is made up of:

  • Ease of use (50%)
  • Skin feel (40%)
  • Battery performance (10%)

Ease of use is made up of a combination of tester and expert user feedback, looking at:

  • Changing heads/blades
  • Charging
  • Cleaning
  • Control
  • Grip
  • Instructions (quality and detail)
  • Trimmer performance
  • Vibration and comfort

These are weighted equally.

Our test lab

Our test laboratory is up to date with the latest reference machines and calibrated measurement tools for our testers to bring you accurate results.


I joined CHOICE in 2008 as a work experience student while studying my Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food) at the University of Western Sydney. I've been with CHOICE ever since.  My first job was in a room full of muesli, collecting all their nutritional data. When I completed my course, CHOICE offered me a full-time position as a Test Officer in the Kitchen Lab. In 2009, I moved into the role of household content producer. I write about a wide range of children's and household products, ranging from cots and strollers to ovens, BBQs, espresso machines and electric blankets. I even write about grocery items such as nappies, sanitary pads and laundry detergents. I love my job and the extremely talented and passionate group of people I work with. I love knowing that our research, testing and results go a long way to helping consumers with their buying decisions by highlighting great products – and singling out poorly performing ones. You can find me on LinkedIn.

I joined CHOICE in 2008 as a work experience student while studying my Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food) at the University of Western Sydney. I've been with CHOICE ever since.  My first job was in a room full of muesli, collecting all their nutritional data. When I completed my course, CHOICE offered me a full-time position as a Test Officer in the Kitchen Lab. In 2009, I moved into the role of household content producer. I write about a wide range of children's and household products, ranging from cots and strollers to ovens, BBQs, espresso machines and electric blankets. I even write about grocery items such as nappies, sanitary pads and laundry detergents. I love my job and the extremely talented and passionate group of people I work with. I love knowing that our research, testing and results go a long way to helping consumers with their buying decisions by highlighting great products – and singling out poorly performing ones. You can find me on LinkedIn.


When I first walked through the doors at CHOICE, my job was to write about tech for CHOICE Computer magazine. Since then, I've covered everything from home entertainment to personal safety devices, tech for your car and even mattresses. If you want to find the best combination of a bed, 4K TV, soundbar, GPS unit and food delivery app, I'm your guy.  The one thing I've noticed across all the product tests I've organised it's that nothing is simple. Mattresses can be just as complicated as computers, and manufacturers as well as salespeople don't make things easy. They either use complex jargon that you just want to ignore, or they oversimplify things to the point where you don't know what you're paying for. My goal isn't just to help you find the best TV, mattress or soundbar, I also want to cut through the nonsense and help you fully understand the products you're considering. That way, you can make an educated, informed decision when it's time to buy without falling prey to a sly salesperson. Plus, when you understand the product, you know how to set it up in a way that best suits your home and can look after it. Nothing is plug and play anymore, and if a complicated smartphone or Bluetooth speaker feels less intimidating after you've read my content, then I know I've done my job. Outside of work I'm very into gaming, I love watching retro classics at the cinema, I enjoy getting up early to spend hours smoking a tasty cut of meat and I'm deeply into home hi-fi. Any music genre from laidback jazz to the loudest, screamiest, most brutal heavy metal ticks all my boxes. I also had a stint as a live music photographer for a number of years. You can find me on LinkedIn.

When I first walked through the doors at CHOICE, my job was to write about tech for CHOICE Computer magazine. Since then, I've covered everything from home entertainment to personal safety devices, tech for your car and even mattresses. If you want to find the best combination of a bed, 4K TV, soundbar, GPS unit and food delivery app, I'm your guy.  The one thing I've noticed across all the product tests I've organised it's that nothing is simple. Mattresses can be just as complicated as computers, and manufacturers as well as salespeople don't make things easy. They either use complex jargon that you just want to ignore, or they oversimplify things to the point where you don't know what you're paying for. My goal isn't just to help you find the best TV, mattress or soundbar, I also want to cut through the nonsense and help you fully understand the products you're considering. That way, you can make an educated, informed decision when it's time to buy without falling prey to a sly salesperson. Plus, when you understand the product, you know how to set it up in a way that best suits your home and can look after it. Nothing is plug and play anymore, and if a complicated smartphone or Bluetooth speaker feels less intimidating after you've read my content, then I know I've done my job. Outside of work I'm very into gaming, I love watching retro classics at the cinema, I enjoy getting up early to spend hours smoking a tasty cut of meat and I'm deeply into home hi-fi. Any music genre from laidback jazz to the loudest, screamiest, most brutal heavy metal ticks all my boxes. I also had a stint as a live music photographer for a number of years. You can find me on LinkedIn.